Dogs in the Workplace: A Review of the Benefits and Potential Challenges

Details

• Personal Author:
  Foreman AM ; Glenn MK ; Meade BJ ; Wirth, Oliver
• Description:
  Pet dogs, therapy dogs, and service dogs can be seen in workplaces with increasing frequency. Although dogs may provide many benefits to employees and employers, their presence may introduce additional hazards and concerns to the work environment. Therefore, decisions to accept dogs in the workplace may include many considerations including the health, safety, and well-being of employees, legal and cultural sensitivities, and animal welfare. The present paper serves to introduce the issue of dogs in the workplace and outline the potential benefits and challenges to their presence. The legal accommodations afforded to certain types of dogs in workplace settings are discussed, and the research findings pertaining to the potential benefits of dogs on human health and well-being are summarized. The paper concludes with considerations for human resource management personnel in the areas of diversity, employee relations, ethics and corporate responsibility, organizational and employee development, safety and security, and legal considerations, as well as suggested topics for future research. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Animals Hazardous Substances Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Animal-assisted Interventions Author Keywords: Animal-assisted Activities Employee Health Employees Hazards Health Effects Health Hazards Mental Health Pet Effect Work Environment Worker Motivation Workers Worker Safety

  More +
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  14
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049815
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2017 May; 14(5):498
• Contact Point Address:
  Anne M. Foreman, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2fafd3135dac1d9087e9d7821e1f492dc7ecbbfd411ad13672dba30b0905326287e4cfabc6aaefa997516f413adde3eb3da8602ca5464d23b904c39fa48acb5f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210440/cdc_210440_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 350.96 KB ]